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Show School graduation can become reality for 'young mothers' By DONETA GATHERUM KAYSVILLE -- Graduating from the Davis County Young Parents Pa-rents High School isn't easy. Students Stu-dents are required to meet regular high school graduating requirements, require-ments, attendance requirements and discipline policies. School starts each morning at 7:45 a.m. and ends at 2:20. The school implements imple-ments the eight-period block program prog-ram of 90 minute periods on alternating alter-nating days: The only excused absenseS are for illness of a parent or child. Girls who deliver babies during the regular regu-lar school year are allowed two weeks off but the school work must be made up. The Young Parents School dif fers from conventional high school in many ways. All students are girls who are mothers or who will soon become mothers. Enrollment changes according to the needs of the girl. Credits are transferable to any of the district high schools. Enrollment En-rollment varies from a high of 63 to an average of 57. Girls come to the Young Parents High School through a referral from a parent, a school counselor, the girl or a doctor. A student who is pregnant has the option of dropping drop-ping out of school, continuing at her own high school or attending the Young Parents School. Home study is no longer an option in Davis District. The goal of the Continued on next page Graduation can come i h s v I iiiimL i iir "r" " " T"lk " T) " """" --mt-' 1 LL 1 partment, U. of U. Teen Mother and Child Program, Family Support Sup-port Center, Children's Aide Society Soci-ety and LDS Social Services. More important than the agency support is the support the Parents School receives from parents of the adolescents attending this school, and the teachers who have to be extra caring and involved in the total tot-al education of a student. The entire en-tire student body offers help and support to each other. Close friendships are developed as students stu-dents share the experience of becoming be-coming mature, young adults. Loyalty to the school builds because be-cause graduating from the Davis County Young Parents High School isn't easy. The girls have to make difficult commitment to education edu-cation and success in order to achieve their diploma, which symbolizes sym-bolizes much more than completing complet-ing standard graduation requirements. JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE a mother doesn't mean all the homemaking skills like cooking come automatically. Young women are exposed to those and other skills in the Young Mothers program. niinnnnnnnnnnrnnfirnnnrinnnnnnnnnni Continued from previous page school district is to keep the girl in school so that she will receive the best pre-vocational and vocational training possible. This includes graduation from high school plus specialized training in parenting and family living skills. After a girl is referred to the Parents Pa-rents School she is interviewed by Ms. Lynn Trenbeath, Director of the School and the Home Economics Econo-mics Supervisor for the District. The girl, her parents and the husband hus-band are involved in this interview process, which is the best way to determine how the adolescent parent pa-rent can maintain her emotional and physical well-being, her self-esteem, self-esteem, and complete her education educa-tion so she can be a well-prepared, productive member of society. Because of a special grant received re-ceived by the Young Parents School from the State of Utah, the school is able to have Ann Benson, a social worker, on the staff to help the girls with decision-making, and the many problems associated with being an adolescent parent trying to grow up quickly and facing the extra responsibilities of parenthood parent-hood and succeeding in our complex com-plex society. The school is staffed by this social so-cial worker, three full-time certified certi-fied teachers, one part-time teacher who is productivity specialist spe-cialist working in the math area, a secretary and a teacher's aide. The aide is possible because of the state grant money which designated the Davis District Young Parent program prog-ram as the model program for the state. The Young Parents School is located lo-cated east of Davis High School in an attractive home-style building that was constructed four years ago by students in the high school building and trades classes. The Young Parents program has been operating about 12 years. It was first housed in the old Verdeland Park School in Layton. Bus transportation is provided for the students, who come from all parts of the district. Many girls choose to bring their children to school with them. This requires the extra effort of getting a child ready very early in the morning and providing pro-viding food and changes of clothing for them. There is a well-equipped nursery at the school. The girls fill out a daily sheet showing the needs of the babies during the day. The nursery is supervised by a staff member. Each period, several girls are assigned to work in the nursery with their own child and one other child. The girls are required to scrub when working in the nursery and to wear a smock. Parenting and patience skills are incorporated into the nursery rurriculum so that r it is really a practical child development develop-ment coarse. Ninety-five percent of the girls bring their children to school with them. This year, there are 22 babies in the nursery ranging in age from 1 1 days to almost three years. Academic courses offered at the Parents school includes English 9-10-11 and 12, U.S. history, world civilizations, current issues, math, health and physical education. Because Be-cause of the unique situation of the student body, there is an emphasis on home skills. Food and nutrition, child development I and II, and family living courses are stressed. Job counseling, vocation education educa-tion and career readiness are an important part of the curriculum. New to the program this year are the health and physical education classes, and a special independent living course which will be a cooperative effort of the school and the USU Extension service EFNEP (Expanded Food Nutrition Nutri-tion Educational Programs). Girls can also choose to take specialized spe-cialized classes at Davis High School or the DAVC, which are both nearby. The Parent School receives support sup-port from many community agencies, agen-cies, including the Extension Service, Ser-vice, Job Service through the WIC program, juvenile court, social services, ser-vices, Davis County Health De- "Mi - J r J IT'S SCHOOL OF a different flair, but fills a need for many to continue their education and also take care of their newborn children. The Young Mothers program school in Kaysville includes this nursery, allowing mothers to be close by and gain both . parenting and more traditional academic skills. |